1. Field of the Invention
Emergency brake unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, various types of emergency brake units have been devised and used, such as that disclosed and claimed in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,098,545 entitled "Emergency Brake" which issued July 23, 1963. Such devices have the operational disadvantage that they are unduly complicated in structure, expensive, and are not susceptible of easy installation.
The primary object in devising the present invention is to supply an emergency brake unit that is used in pairs on the axle of a pneumatic-tired freight vehicle, with the pair of units when actuated, bringing first and second braking surfaces into pressure frictional contact with portions of the brake drum situated between the spaced ends of internal brake shoes that are utilized in the normal braking of the vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to furnish emergency brake units that may be employed to bring a pneumatic-tired freight vehicle to a stop in the event of failure of the air-operated brakes normally utilized in the braking of the vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide emergency brake units that are removably mounted on the axle of a pneumatic-tired freight vehicle, and due to the structural simplicity of the emergency brake units, they require a minimum of maintenance attention.